There is a diary on the Recommended List which tells the story of Carlene Balderrama, a Massachusetts women who committed suicide as her house was facing foreclosure. This tragic event highlights the magnitude of the foreclosure crisis facing this country. Today you can help to avoid hearing more stories like hers.
I am posting a letter on behalf of David Grossman, Director of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, who has been pushing legislation that would help Massachusetts residents facing foreclosure. Here is the beginning.
Massachusetts is right down to the wire on legislation that could stave off the foreclosure crisis. The legislation has strong support in the legislature – yet is stuck in the Judiciary Committee. If it doesn’t come out for a vote by July 31, it can’t be voted on again for nine months – and there will be catastrophic consequences, experts say.
Please follow after the jump for the rest of the letter and for how you can take action.
Massachusetts will witness an even greater crisis than now thousands of foreclosures and tens of thousands of tenants and homeowners with nowhere to live, and buildings in city neighborhoods standing empty, attracting drug dealers and creating urban blight.
There are 3 bills pending – none of which is a "bailout" – and they all have great support. The city councils of Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Lawrence have endorsed the legislation, with Boston and Worcester voting unanimously. But if the state legislature doesn’t do something next week, the cities’ hands are tied. Foreclosures have increased nearly 30 percent in some cities over last year, and this may only increase without intervention.
Students at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau have worked hard drafting the legislation, which provides much more protection to tenants and homeowners than the proposed federal legislation.
One bill, perhaps the most important, says banks can’t evict tenants after foreclosure unless the tenant isn’t paying rent or for other "just cause." This is critical because tens of thousands of tenants in Massachusetts are losing their homes when their landlords are foreclosed on – even though the tenants have done nothing wrong. Another bill places a moratorium on foreclosures. The third wants courts to oversee the foreclosure process, providing more safeguards for homeowners and tenants, in so-called "judicial foreclosures," as is the case in many states.
If the Judiciary Committee doesn’t pass these bills out of committee and let the legislature vote on them, there will be truly enormous consequences – both for tenants, homeowners, and the Massachusetts economy.
What can you do?
Contact your state legislator urging them to support these bills and get them to a vote next week.
Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending Action Alerts (this is the action alerts section of the Mass Alliance Against Predatory Lending page. It describes the bills in length and provides the means to find the phone numbers of members of the Mass Legislature.-bbxcountry25)
David Grossman, Director
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
July 31st is fast approaching and we need all the help we can get on this one. If you are a resident of Massachusetts it is extremely important that you contact your legislator and the members of the Judiciary Committee. Even if you are not a resident of Massachusetts you can still call the Judiciary Committee Members to show your support for these bills.
Here is a list of the members of of the House committee,
Gene O'Flaherty of Chelsea- Chairman (He is the most important to contact if you do call, call for him)
Finegold of Andover
Naughton of Clinton
J. M. Murphy of Weymouth
Peisch of Wellesley
Curran of Springfield
J. D. Keenan of Salem
Walz of Boston
Fernandes of Milford
Evangelidis of Holden
Webster of Hanson
Here is the general number for the House Staff on the Committee, they can direct you to any of the Representatives- (617) 722-2396
Here is Representative Flaherty's Main Office Number- 617-722-2396
Thank you for reading, I know what this community of capable of when it puts its mind together to get something done. We can do this!